#A to Z Blogging - D for Dogs, #Apocalypse & #Zombies

Dogs, zombies and the end...

(dog-reaper dz, pixabay.com)

What's life without a dog, right? Well, when it comes to apocalypses and zombies, a dog can complicate things. Not surprisingly, though, there are quite a few books that bring these three things together. Here are a few examples:

  

Cadaver Dog (Zombie Dog Series Book 1) Doug Goodman - Training a dog to track a zombie is like training any other dog. It takes patience, trust, and the right dog-and-handler team. And to not be afraid of zombies.

Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2: The Axe Will Fall, C. A. Verstraete - In real life, Lizzie Borden tried to resume her life after the "trial of the century" ended, with her being acquitted of the gruesome axe murders of her father and stepmother in 1892. She was snubbed often, however, especially when she and her sister moved into a fancier, larger home in a better side of town. She also was a dog lover in real life, so the book contains one (of her three) Boston Terriers. 
    In the fictional version, Lizzie tries to forge a new life--and maybe even romance?-- even as a new zombie outbreak threatens the town. NOTE: There may be spoilers if you haven't read book 1, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter, which centers around the trial and events after.  

Rise of the Dead (ROTD Book 1), Jeremy Dyson - Blake was never one for taking chances. He lived in a world of formulas and equations. A statistician in a controlled society where everything had become predictably mundane. That world disappeared the day the dead got up and began attacking the living. Now, the end is here. Blake finds himself fighting for his life in a world that is rapidly spiraling out of control.

    

The Call of the Wild, Jack London -  This classic book (and new movie) does have an end-of-the-world feel as man and dog tackle the elements alone in the wild.  (Even with a fake dog in the movie, I still want to see it.)

The Hound of Endtown, Ben Longoria - When the world comes to a mysterious end Scout finds himself alone and trapped in the absence of his masters. As hunger and thirst narrowly claim his small young life a chance event opens the doors to freedom. Outside Scout finds a world consumed by horror and death. During his perilous journey across the ruins of civilization Scout encounters cannibals, ravenous animals, the ghosts of the dead, and many other dangers. Through his eyes we witness the thin line between man and beast.

The Last Dog on Earth, Adrian J. Walker - Lineker, a happy go lucky mongrel from London, the day his city falls is finally a chance for adventure. Too bad his master Reg plans to hide himself away from the riots outside... But when an abandoned child shows up  looking for help, Reg and his trusty hound must brave the chaos in a journey that will prove not just the importance of bravery, but of loyalty, trust, and finding family in the unlikeliest of places.  

  

The Taking, Dean Koontz - No dogs, but there is a scene with coyotes swarming a porch. A community cut off from a world under siege, and the terrifying battle for survival waged by a young couple and their neighbors as familiar streets become fog-shrouded death traps.

War Dogs Heading Home: Wounded Warriors of the Apocalypse, .J. Newman - After suffering severe wounds during an IED blast in London, Staff Sergeant Jason Walker and his Military Service Dog and best friend, MMax, are being shipped home. An EMP blast causes their plane to crash in the middle of nowhere. Having survived two disasters, they face the struggle to get home.In a world gone mad, where life clings on by a thread and people will kill for a few scraps of food, can they make it home alive? And if they can, will there be anything left to return to?

Zombie Fallout 12: Dog Dayz, Mark Tufo - The Talbot clan has settled in to life at Etna Station. Mike has earned the rank of Lieutenant, but there’s no time to rest. Colonel Bennington has ordered Mike and his squad of misfits on a secretive mission to New York City to complete a complicated rescue that rapidly becomes nearly impossible to accomplish. As their mission becomes more covert and questionable than they had originally been told, Mike, BT, Gambo and their team are forced to choose between the security of their families and what’s best for Humanity. Will they succeed in what must be done? Or will they fall along the way as their ever-adapting, quickly evolving zombie enemies press the attack?